Finally: Dershowitz has delivered the first reference to the Bolton manuscript since the New York Times report on it yesterday.

Dershowitz argued that Trump’s quid pro quo is not impeachable “even if true.”

“If any president were to have done what the Times reported about the content of the Bolton manuscript, that would not constitute an impeachable offense,” Dershowitz said. “Let me repeat: nothing in the Bolton revelations — even if true — would rise to the level of an abuse of power or an impeachable offense. That is clear from the history. That is clear from the language of the Constitution.”

Rush Limbaugh
I have to also say this. I’ve had dinner with John Bolton a couple times. I’ve met him two or three times, and if this passage in the book is true, and this is actually what he’s intending, it’s not the John Bolton I thought I knew, this kind of disloyalty. You may say, “Well, Rush, it’s not disloyal. He’s simply telling the truth. The president didn’t want to…”

For those playing at home. This is the official Trump Defense Bingo Card.

According to one pundit. All but #13 and #23 have been crossed off as of Monday.

Attachments

They told me if I voted for Hillary Clinton the president would be emotional, impulsive, and unpredictable. They were right. I voted for Hillary Clinton and got a president that is emotional, impulsive, and unpredictable.

One of the pundits I read had a great observation as it relates to Bolton.

The President seemingly never learns about the risks entailed in tweeting from the hip, his attack on Bolton almost certainly killed any possible chance of using executive privilege to silence the former NSA. Since Trump has now publicly commented on conversations he had with Bolton, and made claims therein, he can no longer argue that those conversations must remain secret, as he himself has already let the cat out of the bag. Oops.

They told me if I voted for Hillary Clinton the president would be emotional, impulsive, and unpredictable. They were right. I voted for Hillary Clinton and got a president that is emotional, impulsive, and unpredictable.

Three-quarters of U.S. voters say senators should hear from witnesses in Trump’s impeachment trial, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.

Much of the Jan. 22-27 poll was taken before Sunday’s revelation that former National Security Advisor John Bolton wrote in an upcoming book that Trump tied military aid for Ukraine with investigations of Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden.

Conducted among 1,905 self-identified registered voters...more than half say Trump isn’t telling the truth about his actions in Ukraine, while 40% believe the president. Among Republicans, 89% said they believe the president. Fifty-seven percent of those surveyed said they’d like the president to provide more details about his actions involving Ukraine.

Majorities of voters believe Trump abused his power, 57%, and obstructed Congress, 52%. The poll has a 2.3% margin of error.

...At a meeting of all Republican senators late Tuesday, GOP leaders told their conference that they don’t currently have the votes to prevent witnesses from being called, people familiar with the matter said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said the vote total wasn’t where it needed to be on blocking witnesses or documents...He had a card with “yes,” “no,” and “maybes” marked on it, apparently a whip count, but he didn’t show it to senators.

...Several on-the-fence Republican senators said Mr. Bolton’s claims strengthened the case for further witness testimony, while the number of senators the White House believes may vote for more testimony ticked up.

...Mr. Trump’s lawyers offered their most expansive defense of the president to date, effectively arguing that a president cannot be removed from office for demanding political favors if he believes his re-election is in the national interest.

It took a while, but we've finally come around to "If the president does it, it's not a crime"...

"See, I told ya!"
-Tricky Dick

What a sad day for Repubicans and the country

"Trump is what he is, a floundering, inarticulate jumble of gnawing insecurities and not-at-all compensating vanities, which is pathetic."
George Will

It seems that despite a two century-plus tradition of bipartisan loyalty to the Constitution and adherence to the rule of law, we have descended to this...the expeditious end to a sham trial feigning the adjudication of the exact example of an impeachable act cited by the Founders themselves...a trial in which it wasn't Lady Justice wearing the blindfold but the jurors themselves.

The "world's greatest deliberative body", indeed. It is to laugh.

Or cry...

So let's all face it, we've descended to this...it's now perfectly acceptable to extort foreign actors to influence our elections, to gag witnesses, to threaten jurors and to lie with impunity about it, all in the name of politics. This is the new normal...at least until the next one.

It's now all too obvious that everything the Scumbag occupying the White House touches turns to ****, even our proudest and most sacred traditions that had until now set us apart from all other systems of government throughout history.

Those days are over, never to return.

R.I.P., America.

"Trump is what he is, a floundering, inarticulate jumble of gnawing insecurities and not-at-all compensating vanities, which is pathetic."
George Will

1. The effort and energy Trump and his minions used to run this political scheme in Ukraine. Getting the Ambassador fired and holding up military aid to get an investigation into the Bidens.
2. What would Trump do or has already done to get some of this Ukrainian/Russia oligarch money following into the Trump organization?
3. If Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman can get that close to Trump, what about people with real money?.. I'm thinking about the Saudis and other Russians. I think the money is already flowing and influencing policy.